Baseball

Recently graduated Central Connecticut baseball senior Nick Garland signed with the Normal CornBelters of the independent Frontier League it was announced on Tuesday. Garland joined the CornBelters and earned the start behind the plate in the series-opener against the River City Rascals on Tuesday night.

As a senior, Garland started all 46 games and drove in a team-high 29 RBIs with 22 runs scored, while clubbing four home runs. Defensively, he turned in a .987 fielding percentage and picked off a team-high seven runners, which was also the most in the Northeast Conference. Garland also threw out 44 percent of attempted base stealers (20-of-45). A nominee on the Johnny Bench Award Watch List, he reached base in 17 straight games – a team-best – from April 7-April 29.

Garland becomes the eighth Blue Devil over the past four seasons to sign with professional organizations and he is the second member of the Blue Devils' 2018 squad to join the professional ranks. Dean Lockery was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 32nd round of the MLB First-Year Players Draft earlier this month.

Garland is also the second Blue Devil to play for the CornBelters in recent years. Former CCSU pitcher Casey Brown (2012-16) threw for Normal in 2016, appearing in 16 games. He tossed 21.0, allowing just nine runs on 24 hits for a 3.85 earned run average, while piling up 18 strikeouts with a 1-0 record and one save. Brown went on to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies' organization and finished last season with the Lakewood Blue Claws of the Class A South Atlantic League in 2017.

ABOUT THE CORNBELTERS The Normal CornBelters are a professional baseball team of the Frontier League located in Normal, Illinois, which is part of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area. They play their home games at The Corn Crib. Tickets and Sponsorships are available for the 2018 season. For more information visit normalbaseball.com or call 309-454-2255. You can also follow the team on Facebook.

ABOUT THE FRONTIER LEAGUE The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States consisting of 12 franchises in two divisions playing a 96-game regular season schedule. The league was formed in 1993 and is the oldest currently running independent league. For more information about the Frontier League visit frontierleague.com.